The Yellow Wagtail. 

 Family— MO TA CILLID^F. 



The Yellow Wagtail. 



Moiacilla rail, BoNAP. 



ACCORDING to Seebohm, this species " breeds in the north of France, passes 

 through the south of France, Spain, and Portugal on migration, and 

 occasionally strays into North-west Italy, in all of which districts it is 

 possible that a few remain to breed. In Africa it has been found in winter as far 

 south as the Transvaal on the east coast, and has occurred in Gambia, the Gold 

 Coast, and the Gaboon on the west. An isolated colony appears to exist in South- 

 east Russia and West Turkestan." 



To Great Britain the Yellow Wagtail is a summer migrant, being generally 

 distributed in England, excepting in Cornwall and Devon, where it is, however, 

 seen on migration. In Scotland it is far more local, being most common in the 

 southern counties, nevertheless it has perhaps been met with in Sutherlandshire, 

 and is believed to breed in Inverness and Aberdeen ; its occurrence in Orkney 

 and the Shetlands has been reported, but the statements need verification. In 

 Ireland it is not only very local but rare, though it is known to breed near 

 Dublin and at Lough Neagh. 



The male in breeding plumage has the upper parts for the most part of a 

 bright yellowish-green colour, forehead more yellow, and upper tail-coverts slightly 

 more olive : wing-coverts and flights smoky-brown, tipped and edged with pale 

 buff; tail blackish, the two outer feathers on each side white, with black edging 

 to the inner webs ; a sulphur-yellow streak over the eye and ear-coverts ; the latter 

 and the lores yellowish- olive ; under parts bright canary-yellow ; bill and feet 

 black ; iris hazel. The female is browner above and paler below, and the super- 

 ciliary stripe is yellowish-white. After the autumn moult both sexes become duller 

 and less yellow. Birds of the year are slightly browner than the female on the 

 upper parts ; the throat pale yellowish-buff, becoming browner on the breast ; 

 abdomen pale yellow ; the sides of the neck and breast more or less streaked or 

 spotted with brown. 



This species reaches our shores early in March, arriving in Scotland about 



